The World of H.P Lovecraft: A Providence Self-Guided Walking Tour

Your tour begins at the Roger Williams National Memorial, the leafy downtown park that H.P. Lovecraft was known to frequent for inspiration. You'll pass through the grounds, which are free to enter, before setting off into College Hill.

John and its shadowy churchyard, the very grounds Lovecraft once described to friends as home to "unsuspected vampiric horror." The cathedral building itself is not open to the public on this route.

ling tale "The Shunned House." This is a private residence, so there's no interior access on this tour — just a lingering look from the sidewalk.

You'll pass the Providence Art Club and its striking neighbor, the Fleur-de-Lys Building, decorated with the same style of bas-relief sculpture that plays a key role in Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu." Entry to the galleries is not included on this walking tour.

Passing by the red clapboard Stephen Hopkins House, you'll hear how this early governor's home became a pivotal setting in Lovecraft's only novel, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward." The house museum keeps separate seasonal hours, and entry is not included in this tour.

You'll pass the John Hay Library on the Brown University campus, where a bronze plaque bears lines from one of Lovecraft's own poems. The plaque is viewable from outside; entry into the library is not included.

illips Lovecraft was born in 1890, though the original house no longer stands. A modern apartment building now occupies the plot, so this is a pass-by only.

ired the Ward family home in "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," along with the nearby "Little White Farmhouse" that Lovecraft also referenced. Both are private residences viewed from the street only.

Your tour concludes at Prospect Terrace, a small park famous for its sweeping views over Providence and its monument to city founder Roger Williams. Entry to the park is free.